Recently, there has been a very heated thread in the Gatherings section of the forum regarding recent events in the West Coast Gatherings group.

One thing that has come up is that there is some confusion surrounding the name, nature, and purpose of West Coast Gatherings. The name strongly suggests that this is simply an umbrella forum/mailing list for all tickle events that take place in Los Angeles, San Francisco, and Seattle with General Western Gatherings for events in central California, Nevada, Arizona, etc. As has become abundantly clear to those who didn't already know it, that is not the case. West Coast Gatherings is a private tickling group run by DVNC that happens to have a geographic focus in California, along the lines of NEST or Midwest NEST.

When I looking in the Gatherings section of the TMF, I see that there is a mix of private tickling group forums, and general geographical subforums. In some cases, the name is abmiguous, like "North West Ohio Gatherings", "Texas Gatherings", and "West Coast Gatherings". In some cases, there is a subtitle associated with these ambiguously named groups that make it clear that it is in fact a private tickling club, and not simply a geographic umbrella organization/forum.

Given the confusion that has arisen surrounding West Coast Gatherings, I strongly suggest that an appropriate subtitle be added to West Coast Gatherings forum title to help alleviate any confusion that may arise due to the ambiguous name.

dvnc

06-06-2007, 11:13 PM

Actually, there's a General Western Gatherings section for new event sets.

The LA gatherings posted theirs there for the entirety of their run as a solo entity before joining back into the West Coast Gatherings.

West Coast Gatherings have actually been held in Oregon and Nevada as well, too, FWIW.

It's a title, not a region. General Western Gatherings, General Eastern Gatherings, etc., are regional descriptors for named events that occurred after the initiation of Gatherings section, prior to the creation of Pen Pals.

I'll see your request gets to the appropriate people promptly!

Icycle

06-07-2007, 03:23 AM

West Coast Gatherings have actually been held in Oregon and Nevada as well, too, FWIW.
I didn't know that. I guess it was before my time. Athough, I have to say that Las Vegas would be a great location for a large gathering: lots of cheap airfares and lots of hotels!

It's a title, not a region.
Yup. I'm quite clear on that now, though the name is a bit misleading, because it sounds so generically geographic. Not to mention it is not even entirely geographically accurate, because as you point out, many of the recent LA gatherings were not WCG events despite being on the west coast, and WCG has hosted gatherings in Nevada.

General Western Gatherings, General Eastern Gatherings, etc., are regional descriptors for named events that occurred after the initiation of Gatherings section, prior to the creation of Pen Pals.

I'll see your request gets to the appropriate people promptly!
Thanks Dave! I really appreciate it! And it might be a good idea to add subtitles for the other gatherings subforums that don't have them yet either. It's a small thing, and it just might avoid a bit of confusion down the line.

dvnc

06-07-2007, 10:40 AM

LA gatherings were their own event. That they chose to join the West Coast Gatherings was a great compliment, as they've a success in their events that's bringing folks out from the east coast and from other countries. It's truly in the spirit of West Coast Gatherings, and I'm always amazed they could do this without intimidating their attendees while hosting at a BDSM club.

San Jose couldn't do that. When that poll went out, the replies for attendance were nearly nonexistant.

If you check the Gatherings area again, you'll find there's already subtitles for the General sections. I can't take credit for that, either. The very first section of that area is this:

General Eastern Gatherings
Post here for Gatherings in the North East, to Mid-Atlantic States

You'll find that this has been true since the Gatherings area was first created.

My event name has been known online for a decade, since USENET days before the TMF.

West has two sections in it:

General Western Gatherings
Info on Gatherings in the SouthWest, Pacific NorthWest, and Western US States can be found here

West Coast Gatherings

I don't think anyone's mistaking this. LA got their event going easily in that General section, and they're on the west coast. They've the most thriving event set, in count and number of occurrences, on the west coast. Unequaled on our coast. I'm very impressed with their work.

I'm most certain that you'll have success in the General Western Gatherings section, as I know you to have attendees already. A home in which to host. Good luck to you!

None of the eastern gatherings have subheadings either. Most of us didn't feel them necessary. Personally, I've never had occasion to think they were necessary.

dvnc

06-07-2007, 12:53 PM

Good news! Myriads says updating West Coast Gatherings is possible. It's up to him now!

Myriads

06-07-2007, 02:58 PM

Just tell me what you plan to call your gathering, and I'll open a new sub- forum for it in the Western gathering area group. Not a problem.

Myriads

LVTicklr

06-07-2007, 04:54 PM

I didn't know that. I guess it was before my time. Athough, I have to say that Las Vegas would be a great location for a large gathering: lots of cheap airfares and lots of hotels!

I never knew that WCG hosted Gatherings here in Las Vegas(and other parts of Nevada),for I would would have attended them in less than a heartbeat had i known that(unless they were held when I didn't have a PC[which I've had since 8/01).

Otherwise,that would be a wonderful idea to have a Gathering here in Vegas :cool: :cool: ,for I know quite a couple of folks that would happily be there if a gathering were ever to happen in this town,and give it the fullest support that it would to make sure that gatherings would regularly happen in Vegas as much as in various cities(and towns)of California.

Icycle

06-08-2007, 01:49 AM

LA gatherings were their own event. That they chose to join the West Coast Gatherings was a great compliment, as they've a success in their events that's bringing folks out from the east coast and from other countries. It's truly in the spirit of West Coast Gatherings, and I'm always amazed they could do this without intimidating their attendees while hosting at a BDSM club.

San Jose couldn't do that. When that poll went out, the replies for attendance were nearly nonexistant.I would hardly say that 12-20 people, every month, for a local event counts as "nearly nonexistant". The fact is, most of our local guests began contacting the hosts directly, so we had a lot more guests than you might have thought based on the number of replies you received.

No big deal. I can understand how it's hard to know what's really going on at events from such a great distance. ;)

My event name has been known online for a decade, since USENET days before the TMF.
It may not have been confusing on it's own, back in the days before TMF, but in the context of the Gatherings page, where "West Coast Gatherings" is paired with "General Western Gatherings", there is no doubt there has been confusion, even among long time ticklephiles.

West has two sections in it:

General Western Gatherings
Info on Gatherings in the SouthWest, Pacific NorthWest, and Western US States can be found here

West Coast Gatherings
Can't you see where the confusion might arise? The description for General Western Gatherings sounds like it is referring to Arizona and
New Mexico (SouthWest), Oregon and Washington (Pacific NorthWest), and Idaho, Montana, Nevada, Colorado, Utah, and Wyoming (Western US States). Then obviously "West Coast Gatherings" must be referring to California, or at least San Francisco, LA, and San Diego.

Perhaps we ought to also update the General Western Gatherings subtitle to specifically call out California, to further reduce confusion.

I don't think anyone's mistaking this. LA got their event going easily in that General section, and they're on the west coast. They've the most thriving event set, in count and number of occurrences, on the west coast. Unequaled on our coast. I'm very impressed with their work.

I'm most certain that you'll have success in the General Western Gatherings section, as I know you to have attendees already. A home in which to host. Good luck to you!
I think you may have misinterpreted my motivations for my requests in this thread. Regardless of whether or not there are non-WCG events in the San Francisco Bay Area, it is quite painfully obvious that there is confusion, even among long-time members and attendees of WCG events as to exactly the nature of WCG. All I am trying to too is help, in some small way, to clear up some of that confusion.

None of the eastern gatherings have subheadings either. Most of us didn't feel them necessary. Personally, I've never had occasion to think they were necessary.
All of the Eastern gatherings have names that are either acronyms (NEST, NYST, etc.), or completely non-geographical (Hyena's Club), so there isn't the opportunity for confusion that there might be for General Western Gatherings and West Coast Gatherings.

Icycle

06-08-2007, 01:53 AM

Just tell me what you plan to call your gathering, and I'll open a new sub- forum for it in the Western gathering area group. Not a problem.
Myriads, I'm not quite sure where you got the idea that I was requesting a new subforum. I'm merely trying to reduce the confusion regarding "West Coast Gatherings" vs. "General Western Gatherings" by clarifying them with appropriate subtitles.

If and when there is a need for a subforum for a new gatherings group in the West, I'll be sure to ask!

Icycle

06-08-2007, 01:59 AM

Otherwise,that would be a wonderful idea to have a Gathering here in Vegas :cool: :cool: ,for I know quite a couple of folks that would happily be there if a gathering were ever to happen in this town,and give it the fullest support that it would to make sure that gatherings would regularly happen in Vegas as much as in various cities(and towns)of California.
If you guys are excited to have a gathering in Las Vegas, then by all means host one! All it really takes is at least one motivated individual with a modicum of organizational skills. When you are ready, post it in General Western Gatherings. There's no need to wait for WSG to organize a Las Vegas event. I can't make any promises, but Las Vegas is close enough to the Bay Area, that you just might get a few of us out there too! :)

Myriads

06-09-2007, 02:44 AM

What clarification is needed?

There is the general catch all forum for the western US: General Western Gatherings

And the specific forum for the named West Coast Gatherings which are the ones run By DVNC.

It sounded to me that you wished to dissacociate yourself from the West Coast Gatherings and start your own set of gatherings. I simply want to provide you with a forum to reflect your new groups name and thus end the confusion you seem to feel people will have with your group and the others.

Myriads

starfires

06-09-2007, 05:32 AM

What clarification is needed?

There is the general catch all forum for the western US: General Western Gatherings

And the specific forum for the named West Coast Gatherings which are the ones run By DVNC. That is exactly the clarification needed. The statement you just made is not evident from anything permanent (like a subtitle or a sticky) on either subforum, or anywhere else I can see on TMF.

Pardon me if the following comes across as condescending or insults your intelligence. But this request has been misunderstood at least twice by two distinct people, so I will be very detailed and specific in the motivation:

Both forums' titles are capitalized. Neither title has a "(tm)" symbol next to it. Nothing in the two titles and the one subtitle suggests that one forum is catch-all geographical, the other is named personal.
The word "General" might distinguish one type of forum from the other if you know what to look for, but it is apparently not enough.
At least four people so far have independently made the mistake of assuming that the two forums simply refer to different parts of the "West": myself, Icycle, Phineas and simulated. It is possible that the distinction is stated perfectly clearly, and the for of us are just very dense. How many independently mistaken individuals would it take for you to conclude that the description is unclear?

RobAce

06-09-2007, 12:29 PM

OK, I know I have zero real investment in this, but I would like to agree with one thing.
When I was considering making a trip to Denver and then on to San Diego sometime last year (before my current situation) I immediately went to West Coast Gatherings to look around because I thought it was a general area for all events that happened on the coast and the General Western was for like Colorado, Montana, Arizona and such.
If I could offer a suggestion from someone outside the loop.....

Why not under West Coast Gatherings have a small statement that is like the ones under GLAT.

Something to the effect of:
West Coast Gatherings
gatherings hosted by dvnc and like minded hosts in the western US

And then perhaps a new list for General California Gatherings since it seems most of the people in Cali.

Just a suggestion, hope Im not making a nuisance of myself.

Rob

Icycle

06-10-2007, 02:14 PM

Let me clarify my suggestion a little bit. I would suggest changing the subtitles in the West section of Gatherings to something like this:

General Western Gatherings
Info on Gatherings in the Southwest, Pacific Northwest, California, and Western US States can be found here

West Coast Gatherings
Here you can find out about any events held by the West Coast Gatherings group